Chapter 653: The Charge
Just as the sky over the Verdant Leaf World began showing clear signs of fracturing, three vibrant pillars of light, each brimming with life force, emerged from the east, west, and north.
These pillars of energy seemed to mend the fractured planar barrier of Verdant Leaf World slightly.
The sources of these lights were the Ancient Verdant Banyan, a guardian located in the southeast, and two other demigod-level plants.
Only demigods attuned to the power of laws could repair the planar barrier, and in this endeavor, the Ancient Verdant Banyan played a pivotal role, contributing over seventy percent of the restorative force by harnessing a sliver of planar power.
Together, the three energy pillars supported the Verdant Leaf World’s planar barrier in a triadic arrangement.
Beneath this barrier, a demigod-level Bamboo Leaf Dragonfly appeared, accompanied by nearly a thousand Bamboo Leaf Dragonflies and other insect beings of at least Rank One.
Not all creatures of Rank One or above had managed to gather beneath the barrier; the urgency of the situation had prevented many from arriving in time.
Some plant creatures, rooted to the ground, were unable to ascend into the air and witness the events unfolding beyond their plane.
The demigod-level Bamboo Leaf Dragonfly might have caught a glimpse of Lorianne’s true form outside the plane. Boundless fear filled its black eyes and its green body trembled.
If even this mighty Bamboo Leaf Dragonfly could not look directly at Lorianne, it seemed unlikely that any other creature could withstand her presence.
Lorianne snorted coldly, dissatisfied as her elemental spikes met resistance from the three plant demigods within Verdant Leaf World.
In response, she scattered a handful of magic spices, akin to pollen, while continuing her incantation. A dense layer of tiny barbs formed on the surface of the elemental spike, making it resemble a verdant green nail bat from a distance.
As part of the Verdant Flame Faction, Lorianne’s combat style bore the signature traits of the other members in the faction.
Outside the Viridian Venom Flame World, Rank Five mage Gregory from the Magus World Army breached the planar barrier of a low-level plane with his elemental body, aided by the main cannon of the space fortress.
Although Lorianne did not possess an elemental body as powerful as Gregory’s, she took out a “nail bat”.
Empowered by a significant release of Lorianne’s mana, the elemental spike continued penetrating the Verdant Leaf World.
Even five demigods combined could not rival the depth of Lorianne’s power, let alone three. The disparity in their life levels was starkly evident!
On top of that, Lorianne could still rely on her arsenal of magic potions and top-tier energy crystals to sustain her energy reserves.
Two hundred sandglasses later, a sharp crack rang out.
Under the watchful, excited eyes of the Divine Tower of the Verdant Spring Army, and the despairing gazes of Verdant Leaf World’s native creatures, a massive hole was created in the planar barrier.
Through this gaping breach, the legions outside the plane beheld the lush, verdant scenery of the microplane, their eyes alight with greed.
Conversely, from within, the native creatures of Verdant Leaf World stared back in stunned despair, their expressions mingled with fear and terror.
Their greatest fear was undoubtedly Lorianne, whose formidable power had breached the planar barrier.
However, the more immediate threat stemmed from the advance party of the Divine Tower of the Verdant Spring, already poised for action.
Directly below the breach, Lantz, the demigod Bamboo Leaf Dragonfly who had personally witnessed Lorianne’s overpowering presence in close distance, exclaimed in disbelief, "A goddess?!"
A disdainful smile appeared on Lorianne’s face as if she was mocking the naivety of her opponent.
“All forces, move out! I will keep this passage open for three hundred sandglasses! Occupy this plane! Conquer it! This dendro elemental microplane shall become another conquest for our Magus Civilization!”
Lorianne’s voice, both majestic and serene, echoed through the starry sky, projected by her mental focus.
Her command was not only heard by the Divine Tower of the Verdant Spring Army but also likely reached the native creatures of Verdant Leaf World.
“Charge!” The first to rally the troops with this cry was Maya, a demigod centaur who had long been preparing for battle.
As a crucial ally of the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring in this conflict, Maya had to lead her tribe in the Verdant Leaf World War to demonstrate their value.
This effort was vital for securing her place alongside the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring, fulfilling the expectations of the Rank Four centaur god who supported her.
Maya wielded a roughly crafted, golden longbow engraved with totem art.
Centaurs, regardless of gender, were typically skilled archers.
This included many legendary centaur gods, whose divine weapons were also bows and arrows.
The longbow in Maya’s grip could almost be considered a “divine weapon” of the lowest quality.
It was a gift from the Rank Four Centaur God, imbued with a trace of the law power.
Sein possessed a “divine artifact” as well—the milky-white Viridescent Seed from his mentor that could grow into a demigod-level plant giant.
This seed was the culmination of Lorianne’s extensive research and was definitely superior to Maya’s longbow in terms of quality.
However, its utility was limited to a single use; the demigod-level plant giant it produced would not exist indefinitely. After approximately a decade of vitality, it would likely lose its energy and revert to an ordinary plant.
Leading the charge was Maya, the demigod, with nearly fifty thousand centaur warriors and over a hundred thousand elite minotaurlings closely following her.
Recognizing the strategic importance of securing an early foothold in Verdant Leaf World, Maya had ensured that her centaur warriors were all from the royal tribal ranks, while the minotaurlings were handpicked for their strength.
The formidable assembly of one hundred and fifty thousand creatures, bearing resemblance to horses and oxen, charged toward Verdant Leaf World.
To the native inhabitants, who had never before encountered such otherworldly creatures, these “monsters”, radiating a strong aura of menace, were unmistakably threatening.
Several Rank Three Sky Knights recruited by Sein followed behind them.
House Ernst, now firmly allied with Sein after formalizing their engagement, eagerly participated in the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring’s interplanar war.
The war effort included not only Sein’s father-in-law and mother-in-law but also two other Rank Three Sky Knights from House Ernst, with whom Sein was less familiar.
The family’s demigod-level knight, however, was absent. It seemed he was still in the Thunderfall World, unable to withdraw.
In addition to these four Sky Knights, Sein’s comrades from the Thunderfall World battlefield—Natalya, Reina, and Gould—also came to help.
They were part of the second wave of the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring’s forces to enter Verdant Leaf World, following the centaur and minotaurling legions.
Sein’s mother-in-law, Sia, showcased her formidable strength by transforming into a Baator Devil, wielding a massive flaming sword and charging ahead of the group.
She even outpaced Wilson, Sein’s father-in-law.